Trea Turner is now latest baseball player to have racist tweets resurface, will go to sensitivity training

By Eric barrow

Jul 30, 2018 | 10:45 AM

Josh Hader, Sean Newcomb and now Trea Turner.

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Turner, the Nationals shortstop, became the latest baseball player to have homophobic and racist tweets resurface, just hours after Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb saw his tweets come back to haunt him on the night he was just out from pitching a no-hitter.

The tweets, which surfaced hours after Washington's 5-0 loss at Miami, were from 2011 and 2012, when Turner was 18 years old.

"There are no excuses for my insensitive and offensive language on Twitter," Turner, now 25, said. "I am sincerely sorry for those tweets and apologize wholeheartedly. I believe people who know me understand those regrettable actions do not reflect my values or who I am. But I understand the hurtful nature of such language and am sorry to have brought any negative light to the Nationals organization, myself or the game I love."

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner throws to first during a game against the Braves this earlier this month. (Nick Wass / AP)

Turner will be now meet with Billy Bean, MLB’s vice president for social responsibility and inclusion, “as a first step in in the process of determining the appropriate course for sensitivity training,” said a league spokemsan.

The Nationals blasted the tweets, with Mike Rizzo, the team’s president of baseball operations, calling them “inexcusable”.

"He understands that his comments — regardless of when they were posted — are inexcusable and is taking full responsibility for his actions," Rizzo said in a separate statement released by the team

Rizzo said he addressed the issue with Turner.

Hader had racist, homophobic and misogynistic tweets come out while he was playing in the All-Star Game earlier this month. The Brewers pitcher apologized for his comments and received a standing ovation from Milwaukee fans upon his return to the mound.

Hader was sent to diversity and sensitivity training with Bean who will also meet with Newcomb this week.